The present invention relates to a charcoal cooker using charcoal as fuel, more specifically to a charcoal cooker being easy to kindle a charcoal and adjustment of heat applied to food in cooking.
Although a charcoal cooker associated with the present invention generally uses charcoal made by carbonization of wood as fuel, the charcoal cooker may use similar materials such as oval briquette or holed charcoal molded from charcoal powders. In this specification, such materials are referred to as charcoal.
Suppose that a charcoal cooker is defined as xe2x80x9ca brazier for cooking food by means of heat generated by burning charcoalxe2x80x9d, such charcoal cooker has been variously developed and used.
The conventional charcoal cooker has problems due to a peculiar characteristic that it is more difficult to kindle a charcoal than other fuels.
That is, flame with energy of very high temperature needs to be applied for a long time for kindling charcoal. Flame generated by burning of the kindling materials such as paper or oilpaper or BUNGAETANTM is used in the conventional charcoal cooker. Most of the kindling materials generate smoke, soot and smell so that kindling charcoal indoors is not desirable. Thus, after kindling charcoal outdoors, different burning vessel or a charcoal cooker containing kindled charcoals must be brought to indoors. Moreover, when energy of flame generated by burning of the kindling materials is not sufficient to kindle a charcoal, a blower must be used to promote the burning.
Because of such a troublesome and time-consumptive process of kindling a charcoal, as well as because of smoke, soot and smell in the process of kindling a charcoal, users prefer a cooker using other fuel to a charcoal cooker.
There is a possibility that soot generated in the process of kindling a charcoal and ashes resulted from the burning of the kindling materials are taken into human-body, such soot and ashes containing a lot of harmful components such as dioxin.
Inventors of the present invention developed a new charcoal cooker in order to solve the above problems of the conventional charcoal cooker, filed it with Korean Industrial Property Office and obtained an patent application number 10-1999-0019438 (filing date: May 28, 1999).
In the specification, the inventors suggested to provide a charcoal kindler using gas in the charcoal cooker in order to facilitate kindling a charcoal.
On the other hand, ashes resulted from the burning of the kindling materials or fuel is accumulated on the bottom of the charcoal cooker and such ash curdles with oil flowed out from food cooked, such curdled ashes making cleaning of the charcoal cooker difficult.
Also, the coated film of the housing forming inner space for burning fuel changes its color or is damaged, and inner metal thereof is easily corroded. Also, when a user comes in contact with the housing heated in use, there is a possibility that the user gets burnt.
Therefore, the present invention is made in order to solve the above conventional problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal cooker comprising a charcoal kindler using gas, which has a simple structure and has good convenience and good durability in use and keeping thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal cooker capable of completing cleaning by washing only a part of its elements after use thereof.
Also, another object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal cooker having a structure capable of remarkably reducing or nearly removing an amount of heat transferred from a burning part to a housing thereof in burning.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal cooker including a charcoal kindling means capable of rapidly kindling charcoal by means of a simple operation without generating smoke or soot.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal cooker capable of finely and rapidly controlling an amount of heat applied to food in cooking.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal cooker including a multi-functional housing capable of being used in place of a table in use and receiving all elements folded to form a compact structure in keeping.
In order to accomplish the above objects, according to the present invention, a charcoal cooker comprising a charcoal burning part adapted to contain and burn a charcoal and a cooking part adapted to cook a food by means of heat emitted from the charcoal burning part is provided.
The charcoal cooker comprises: a housing for defining an inner space with a top opening; an inner dish arranged on a bottom of said housing for receiving filth and for defining said charcoal burning part; a fuel rack arranged at a position spaced from a bottom of said inner dish and within said inner dish; a support means adapted to support a food holder over said fuel rack; and a food holder lifting means adapted to adjust a gap between said fuel rack and the food holder supported by said support means by displacing said support means.
Also, the charcoal cooker may further comprise a charcoal kindling means adapted to kindle a charcoal on said fuel rack by emitting flame from under said fuel rack.
Also, it is preferable that said food holder lifting means displaces said support means to lift the food holder supported by said support means.
Also, the charcoal cooker may further comprise a cover constructed to close said top opening of said housing.
Also, the charcoal cooker may further comprise legs for supporting said housing at a height properly spaced from the ground.
It is preferable that said support means consists of two support rods having equal shape, wherein assuming that 3 dimensional coordinate system has an X-axis extended in a width direction of said inner dish, each of said support rods has one X-linear portion extended in X-axis direction, two Y-bended portions extended from both ends of said X-linear portion and bended toward Y-axis by 90xc2x0, and at least one Z-bended portion extended from the end of at least one of said two Y-bended portions and bended toward Z-axis by about 45xc2x0, and wherein each of said support rods is supported to freely swing at a transit portion between said Y-bended portion and said Z-bended portion by at least one longitudinal sidewall of said inner dish.
Said two support rods may be crossed at said transit portion between said Y-bended portion and said Z-bended portion and arranged in a relationship of plane symmetry.
Said two support rods are separated from each other and arranged in a relationship of plane symmetry.
Said two support rods are separated from each other and arranged toward equal direction.
It may be desirable that each of said two support rods includes a hinge ring attached to said transit portion between said Y-bended portion and said Z-bended portion, while a hinge pin attached to said inner dish and inserted into said hinge ring.
In the case that said two support rods are separated from each other and arranged toward equal direction, It is preferable that the charcoal cooker further comprises assistant rods bended to form U shape, and holes punched in a width-directional flange of said inner dish to loosely receive said assistant rods, while said assistant rods of U shape is crossed by a upper side of said X-linear portion in a overturned state and adapted to be inserted into said punched holes in said width-directional flange of said inner dish.
Also, the charcoal cooker may further comprise a horizontal-position-keeper for preventing the food holder supported by said support means from horizontally moving when said food holder lifting means displaces said support means.
It is preferable that said horizontal-position-keeper comprises guide rods bended to form U shape, and holes punched in a width-directional flange of said inner dish to loosely receive said guide rods, while said U-shaped guide rods is adapted to pass through holes punched in said food holder supported by said X-linear portion of said support rods and to be inserted into said punched holes in said width-directional flange of said inner dish.
Preferably, said food holder lifting means applies horizontal force to said at least one Z-bended portion of said support rods to swing each of said support rods so that said X-linear portion of said support rods is lifted.
It is also preferred that said food holder lifting means comprises: at least one transfer screw supported to be free to rotate by at least one longitudinal sidewall of said housing; two nut blocks provided on said transfer screw and constructed to move on said transfer screw when said transfer screw is rotated; a restriction pin for limiting the position of said Z-bended portion of said support rods when said nut blocks moves; and a driving means for rotating said transfer screw.
Desirably, said food holder lifting means comprises two transfer screws provided one by one on both longitudinal sidewalls of said housing and an electric motor means operatively connecting said two transfer screws, while a first transfer screw of said two transfer screws is rotated by said driving means, and wherein a second transfer screw of said two transfer screws is rotated by gearing with rotation of said first transfer screw.
Said driving means may comprise an electric motor.
Preferably, said charcoal kindling means comprises a gas supply part, a mixture gas jet nozzle and a gas igniter, wherein said mixture gas jet nozzle is provided under said inner dish, and wherein said inner dish is provided with at least a mixture gas inlet hole for importing the mixture gas jetted from said mixture gas jet nozzle into said inner dish.
It is preferable that said mixture gas jet nozzle is formed of a pipe having at least a series of mixture gas jet holes, while said mixture gas inlet hole is formed by a slot aligned with a series of mixture gas jet holes.
Alternatively, said mixture gas jet nozzle is formed of pipe curved to form a ring, along which at least a series of mixture gas jet holes are punched, while a circular hole for receiving said mixture gas jet nozzle is punched in a center of the bottom of said inner dish, preferably a circular ceiling being provided over said circular hole.
Preferably, said gas igniter has a gas control knob exposed from a sidewall of said housing.
Alternatively, said gas igniter has a gas control knob exposed from a top surface of said housing.
Said gas supply part may be adapted to fit a portable butane fuel vessel thereto, while a space for receiving said portable butane fuel vessel is provided either within or out of said housing.
It is preferable that said inner dish comprises at least an air inlet formed through sidewalls thereof for permitting air flow and eaves projected inwardly over each air inlet, respectively.
Preferably, said inner dish is adapted to contain water up to a predetermined height from the bottom thereof.
It is also preferred that said cover consists of two members divided along a central line of a longitudinal direction, a first member of said two members being constructed to be connected to the upper side of a first longitudinal sidewall of said housing by a hinge and to pivot on said hinge by 180xc2x0 from a folded position to an unfolded position, and a second member of said two members being constructed to be connected to the upper side of a second longitudinal sidewall of said housing by a hinge and to pivot on said hinge by 180xc2x0 from a folded position to an unfolded position.
Also, the charcoal cooker may further comprise two carrying handles attached to said first longitudinal sidewall and said second longitudinal sidewall of said housing, respectively, and at least one projections formed on respective upper surfaces of said first member and said second member of said cover, while said carrying handles support said cover at the unfolded position of when said first and second member of said cover so that said at least one projections serve as a stopper preventing said handles from sliding.
Also, the charcoal cooker may further comprise plane grid members built in the inner side of said first and second member of said cover, respectively, wherein said plane grid members are pivotally coupled to each flange of said first and second member of said cover to pivot on each pivotal axis adjacent to sidewalls thereof.
Preferably, said legs consist of four poles to be inserted into and pulled out from four leg holders provided in said housing.
Alternatively, said legs are constructed such that both ends of a rod bended to form U shape are inserted into support holes formed in a first longitudinal sidewall and a second longitudinal sidewall of said housing to be pivotally coupled, wherein both ends of said rod are bended at right angles such that most of said rod is vertical and a part close to both ends of said rod is horizontal in a state that said legs are unfolded.
The above and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more clarified upon reading several preferred embodiments below.